TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® was founded on the belief that we could make a difference in people’s lives. And we think our blog will, too! Everyone’s story is different. Whether you’ve established a career in real estate, insurance, sales, finance, you own a small business currently, or you’re a recent grad, we celebrate you! Our hope is to inspire people to seize their dreams of owning their own business.

Month: April 2015

You might ask yourself, “Why would I want to invest in the moving industry?” When making an investment and opening a business, it’s absolutely important to ensure you are investing in a viable industry. Moving may not be the first industry that comes to mind, but it should be. The moving industry is predicted to grow substantially over the next four years, bringing in more than $17 billion in revenue. Moving is an evolving industry, which creates multiple career opportunities and even more revenue.

Housing Market

The housing market took a negative turn in 2009, but has been back on the rise for the last few years. As this market continues to expand, the amount of people needing moving services does, too. With housing starts and revenue on the rise, the moving industry is a prime investment. Whether a single person, or large family is moving, people are constantly moving into larger homes, downsizing, relocating for a job, and moving into retirement communities.

Business Moves

Just as families grow and expand, so do businesses. With the economy improving, major brands are experiencing growth! This means companies will need to move into larger office spaces, or a moving team to move them out of and into a new space after renovations or office additions. According to CAN Capital Small Business Health Index, 58 percent of small business owners expect growth in 2015. Now is the time to invest in a well-known home and business moving company, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®!

In fact, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® completed a business move just last year. We’ve experienced tremendous growth in the last few years and needed to expand our corporate headquarters. After an excess amount of team growth and franchise development expansion, we needed a larger space to accommodate this growth. The company may have had a slight bias, but it’s a pretty safe bet as to what moving service we used.

So, why not invest in TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®? These current trends are expected to grow throughout the upcoming years and will provide a promising future for those who are part of it. In a nut shell, the moving industry will see $15.5 billion in revenue and $805 million in profit, with the expectation of these numbers to rise over the years (IBISWorld, January 2014).

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® knows all about this growth. We understand the trends. The company ended 2014 with 15.9 percent growth over 2013 and are excited about future growth of the industry and TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®! Why not join us?

For more information on starting your own TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® franchise location and the performance information available to prospective owners, click here.

As first quarter ended, we had many incredible and inspiring stories from our franchises across the country. As numerous milestones were made, records broken, and charity hours donated, there were two stories that stuck out.

Welcome to South Dakota

Hard work and dedication across the system allows us to grow and expand our brand. This story is no exception. Franchisees Jeff Lodike and Steve West expanded the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® footprint once again, opening their first franchise in a new state, South Dakota!

Business partners Jeff Lodike, Steve West, Joel Trost, John Judson, and Jason Judson are all part of a powerhouse franchisee team. All franchisees have been instrumental in the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® system and have created many career opportunities for their employees.

“It is very exciting to have the exposure and continue the growth of our brand,” said Franchisee Jeff Lodike. “Opening in a new state is an added bonus, we are just glad to be a part of it!”

Jeff, Steve, and their business partners have had plans to expand for some time.

“We reached out to Home Office and asked for advice on available territories in the Midwest, and Sioux Falls was at the top of the list,” said Jeff. “After we initially researched and visited a few other areas, we were sold on Sioux Falls immediately. The area has a rapid growth rate, great people, and is just gorgeous.”

Not only is TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Sioux Falls a milestone for Jeff, Steve, and their entire team, but it is a huge milestone for our brand.

Our footprint is growing and we are officially serving customers in 39 states!

Congratulations, guys!

Living our giving back core value

Giving back to the community is a core value we see displayed daily throughout the system. Whether you are in California, Connecticut, or anywhere in between, generous charitable efforts are evident at each TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® location.

This particular story took place on March 16, 2015. Franchisees Bill Bass and Don Hughes opened their second Las Vegas location in early March. On this day, they conducted their first move at absolutely no cost to the customer.

“The first move was great,” said Kirk Phillips, marketing coordinator at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Las Vegas. “Honestly, we could not have grown without the residents of Las Vegas. I feel grateful we were in a position to give away a free move. It was really the least we could do to give back to the great community that has truly embraced us as their moving company.”

The TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® team waited until the end of the move to bring Truckie on site with a goodie bag filled with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® gear and surprised the customer with the good news. Needless to say, the customer was thrilled to be saving more than $1,000after his day-long move. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Las Vegas South invited the customer to be a part of the upcoming Grand Opening celebration as well.

Way to go, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Las Vegas!

System Highlights

In addition to the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Sioux Falls location opening and TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Las Vegas South’s free first move, many other incredible things have happened so far this year.

As a whole, our system saw a successful first quarter. More than 3,900 charity hours were donated totaling more than $460,000. More than two-thirds of our franchises performed at least one charity move during the first quarter. Giving back to the community is not just a cliché we talk about, it is a way of life our employees embody daily.

Franchising is extremely rewarding. If you’re interested in franchising with us, please visit twomenandatruckfranchising.com! TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchise moving company in the United States. Join the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® team to be part of something bigger.

Meet Leila Nichols. Mom, volunteer, friend, and franchise owner, just to name a few.

Not only is Leila a TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® franchisee with locations in Pensacola, Fla., and Mobile, Ala., she is also a mother of two children, with twins on the way.

“There are so many challenges of just being a mom,” said Leila. “As a business owner, I would say the challenges are unique because you not only feel responsible for your family’s financial security, but the financial security of every family that is represented and employed at your business. In the early days, there were many times I would have to be more frugal and creative with my own family to make sure the people working for us were thriving and succeeding. It is almost like being a mom to 50 families.”

It’s no secret, moms tend to develop natural characteristics which make them great leaders and teachers.

“As mothers we are inherent nurturers. We like to feed small things and watch them grow,” said Leila. “I love to teach and serve. Both are important attributes to being a business owner as well.”

There are many mothers who dream about becoming business owners, but are afraid to make the commitment. Let’s face it, being a mom is time consuming and hard work!

For moms (or any parent) considering going into business ownership, Leila has three pieces of advice for you.

Be realistic and transparent. You need to be transparent on the front end with your family about the amount of time getting a franchise off the ground will take. Open communication is key, listen to your family’s concerns.

Have a support system. It’s important you have someone who will be there to support you. Whether it’s someone from your church, a friend, or family member, be sure there’s a dependable shoulder to lean on.

Don’t put your roles in compartments. Do not identify yourself separately as a business owner or a mom. In order to be successful you have to recognize that all of the roles are going to be woven together and will create a new, beautiful life.

As a business owner, it’s important to be involved in your community, to volunteer, and to create relationships with local businesses and residents. Leila makes a point to get involved in local organizations and gives back to the community through our Movers for Moms® program and other charitable organizations.

For those of you who don’t know, Movers for Moms® is our spring charitable program designed to celebrate mothers in need on Mother’s Day. Our franchises partner with local shelters, schools, and other community organizations to collect goods that will make Mother’s Day special for moms living in shelters.

“I love that TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® has put a program in place that focuses on moms and makes them feel special. For me, it means we have an opportunity to thank moms for what they do every day and for what they contribute to the people we become.”

Leila’s favorite part of Movers for Moms® is getting the school-aged children involved in the program and having the opportunity to teach them about altruism and giving back.

“Mother isn’t just a word to describe a woman who went through the biological process of birthing children” said Leila. “There are so many women in our lives that invested in us just because they love deeply and want the best for us. That kind of selflessness always deserves to be celebrated, because investment means to put in now believing in the return later.”

In addition to being a big supporter of Movers for Moms®, Leila is also on the board of directors for the Child Advocacy Center of Baldwin County. She is also extremely excited about the new charitable Christmas giving opportunity she is creating with her friends.

Is there anything Leila can’t do?!

In the past four years, Leila has been part of something remarkable. In conjunction with her business partner, David Richardson, she has built two successful franchises and has utilized a combination of skills from being both a mother, and a driven businesswoman.

Has Leila’s story inspired you? For more information and to learn more about franchising with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® visit http://www.twomenandatruckfranchising.com/home. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchise moving company in the United States. Let us help move your career forward!

You may think, “I’m a busy mom, I work a full-time job, I don’t know the first thing about owning my own business.” Think again!

Leila Nichols has been a TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® franchisee for four years. She purchased her first TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® franchise in Pensacola, Fla. with her business partner, David Richardson, in January 2011. Not only is Leila a successful franchisee, she is also a mother of two beautiful children and twins on the way.

Leila went to college at the University of Alabama and earned her degree in Human Environmental Sciences. Before joining TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®, Leila was the Executive Director of Child Abuse Prevention Services in Tuscaloosa, Ala. where she developed the core skills needed to run any successful business. While her previous position was quite different, she was able to put her leadership, problem solving, money management, marketing, personal management, and logistic skills to use when she made the life-changing decision to own her own business

“I was familiar with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® prior to becoming a franchisee, but never in my wildest dreams would I have guessed that I would ever be part of the brand,” said Leila. “My business partner approached me about the opportunity, knowing that I would be moving to the area, and asked if I would like to partner. The rest is history.”

In May 2012, Leila and David opened their second TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® location in Mobile, Ala.

“It was a very quick expansion; however, the geographical closeness of the two franchises made it a natural and very important partnership — especially since our second location is in my hometown,” Leila laughed. “Reputation is very important when you own a business, but especially when you live in the town where the business is. Your name is synonymous with what you do. I couldn’t imagine anyone else becoming the franchisee of the Mobile location.”

Without hesitation, Leila said the biggest adjustment when expanding from one franchise to two franchises is the level of comfort when opening the second franchise. She said it was significantly higher than when the first franchise was purchased.

“For the first year as a franchisee, I was in the office before the sun came up and left after the sun went down. I spent hours upon hours learning the system and the business so I would feel ‘in the know’.”

By the time her second franchise opened, she felt comfortable and confident she had the skills and resources to make it a success.

In the last four years, multiple milestones have been achieved. Both Pensacola and Mobile surpassed the $1 million dollar revenue mark. This year, Mobile is on target to reach $2 million in revenue.

“Going from what we purchased (which was around a half million dollar revenue producer) to anticipating over two million in two and a half years … I am really proud of that,” said Leila. “It has taken a lot of time and effort from a lot of hard working people.”

So how does Leila reach success and continue building her franchises?

Hire for your weaknesses. Know when and what to delegate. Know your skill sets, improve your shortcomings, but don’t be stubborn and think you’re good at everything.

Nurture skills, tools, and motivations. Recognize substandard performance and make a change at a management level to address and improve.

Hold yourself accountable. When you are a business owner, you need to be able to hold yourself accountable. Don’t sell yourself short, do what you can to learn everything you can about your business, even if that means
arriving before the sun comes up and leaving after the sun goes down.

“My husband likes to remind me of the words of Kenny Rogers, ‘Know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em’. Don’t be stubborn and continue doing something that isn’t working for your business, team, or community” said Leila. “Be creative and don’t be afraid to go back to the drawing board to find the perfect solution to any problem.”

Leila Nichols is an excellent example of a successful franchisee. Has Leila’s story inspired you? To learn about franchising opportunities visit twomenandatruckfranchising.com. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchise moving company in the United States. Let us help move your career forward!